Headstrong
by TeenTitansGirl14
Summary: Semi-AU. After "Mask", the Titans confront Robin about his behavior and attitude, and tell him to take some time off to get his head straight. He doesn't take it well. Dark songfic. Read and Review please.


**Title:** Headstrong

**Genre:** Drama/Angst

**Rating:** PG

**Summary:** Semi-AU. After "Mask", the Titans confront Robin about his behavior and attitude, and tell him to take some time off to get his head straight. He doesn't take it well. Dark songfic. Read and Review please.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Teen Titans or "Headstrong" by Trapt.

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**

Headstrong

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"Robin, look, you need to take some time to get over this, man." Cyborg said, placing a hand on the young leader's shoulder. Robin was silent.

"Yeah, Dude, just… just come back in a month or two…" Beast Boy interjected.

"Or, come back when your good judgment and your sanity returns, Robin." Raven cut in, an icy undertone subtly placed in her words. Robin gritted his teeth.

_Circling your head _

_Contemplating everything you ever said _

_Now I see the truth I got a doubt_

Robin slowly turned his head toward Starfire, the only Titan who hadn't spoken yet. Her crimson hair was hanging in front of her face as she looked down at her boots. Both of her hands were behind her back, tying knots in the other. Even though Robin couldn't see, he knew her fingers were twitching and wriggling, and she was popping her knuckles in nervousness.

"Star," He began with forced calm. It was hard to squeeze out the words through his throat, which was tightening in fury and the injustice of it all. "Do you agree with them? You want me to leave?"

She was silent. Robin walked over and stood in front of her, lifting her chin and staring into her eyes. They were glassy and red-rimmed, but in them he found confirmation. He dropped his hand from her face and turned sharply away from her, and she made a noise as if he'd slapped her.

_A different motive in your eyes and now I'm out _

_See you later_

"So this is how you want it?" He asked quietly, contempt vicious in his voice. He spoke so soft that one could easily have not heard it, but they all did. Starfire flinched.

"I'll get my things, then." He said, fury and pain building inside his chest. He turned in the direction of his room, then spun around to face his former friends.

"Don't come crying to me when things don't work." He growled viciously. "I do what I have to do to keep this team together. I do what I have to do to make us succeed. Too bad that none of you want to admit it takes guts and risks." His masked eyes burned with anger even as he spoke, and he purposefully walked to his room, leaving the Titans speechless in his wake.

_I see your fantasy _

_You want to make a reality paved in gold _

_See inside, inside of our heads _

_Yeah_

He haphazardly flung his clothes into the brown leather suitcase he hadn't opened since he'd first arrived in Titans Tower. It had brought his belongings to his home. Now it was taking them from it.

With a growl he slammed the lid shut and forcefully rammed the buckles together.

_Well that's over _

_I see your motives inside _

_Decisions to hide _

_Back off I'll take you on_

_Headstrong to take on anyone_

_I know that you are wrong_

He hovered in the shadows of the doorway, bags in hand.

"I still am not sure that we are doing the right thing…" Starfire was saying timidly. Her hands were going a mile a minute in front of her, and the tiny pops of her knuckles cracking could be heard.

"Of course we are." Raven said firmly. "As our leader he needs to be collected. If you haven't noticed he's not the Robin he used to be."

Cyborg nodded his approval at Raven's statement.

"Rae is right. Don't worry, Star," He added, soothing the Tameranian. "Robin just needs time to cool off. He's not himself."

Unseen, Robin gritted his teeth. Sure, he'd changed a bit… But he had just proven he could take them all on: all of them at the same time, no less!

_Headstrong we're headstrong_

_Back off I'll take you on _

_Headstrong to take on anyone _

_I know that you are wrong _

_

This is not where you belong

_

_Where you belong_

Robin cleared his throat and strolled in, viciously giving Starfire and his former teammates the cold shoulder. Cyborg put a hand on his shoulder, about to speak, but Robin whirled around, ferocious and terrifying in his anger. His whole person seemed a machine for fighting, as if he had been specifically designed with malicious intent. He was horrible in his perfection.

The Teen Titans took one look at him and realized suddenly, for the first time, what he was. He was the one who could destroy and mercilessly do what he had to do, and the one who could take everything and somehow make it right no matter how wrong it seemed in retrospect. The lead singer, and they were the back up, lip-syncing the words that only he could sing.

_I can't give everything away   
this is not where you belong   
I won't give everything away_

"Whoa, man." Cyborg said in surprise, backing away. "Chill."

Robin narrowed his masked eyes.

"Chill?" He said dangerously, dropping his things and advancing on Cyborg. He leaped forward, pinning the metal man against the wall. "You want me to chill?" He whispered dangerously, murderously.

_

I know, I know all about   
I know, I know all about   
I know, I know all about   
I know, I know all about   
Your motives inside   
and your decision to hide

_

"Robin!" Starfire exclaimed, tears freely flowing down her face. "Please cease this barbaric behavior!"

Robin looked at her, and dropped the stunned Cyborg.

"Only because you asked nicely." He said, sarcastic venom in his voice.

_Back off I'll take you on   
Headstrong to take on anyone   
I know that you are wrong_

"This is why you have to leave, Robin." Raven said as she knelt beside Cyborg. "You. Are. Out. Of. Control." She put emphasis on each word, as if he couldn't get the message. As if he was a child or something.

Cyborg stood, and Raven crossed her arms over her chest.

"You won't tell us what's going on in your mind and I'm too polite to pry, so you need to leave until you can get a handle on yourself. Go, Robin." She commanded, authority in her tone.

_Headstrong, we're headstrong   
Back off I'll take you on _

Robin wryly cocked an eyebrow at the enchantress.

_Headstrong to take on anyone   
I know that you are wrong   
and this is not where you belong   
where you belong_

"Of all of the Titans, Raven, you might be the only one who could ever belong. You could kill. You could be amoral, and do the stuff no one else wants to do but knows has to be done." He gave a humorless laugh that barked out of his throat as Raven's mouth opened in surprise at his words. "Like what** I** have to do."

_This is not where you belong   
I can't give everything away   
This is not where you belong _

He picked up his things again, and marched toward the exit. Beast Boy was holding open the door when Robin got out of the elevator with his bags. Robin snarled at him, pushing the changeling out of the way so that he could open the door by himself.

_This is not where you belong   
I can't give everything away _

He looked back once, and saw each of the Titans before he hailed the cab.

Cyborg, eyes with some deeper emotion hidden in them, regret and pain at the loss of his friend, but a determined look on his face that this was the right decision.

Beast Boy, mouth open and gaping, as if he couldn't believe what they were doing, what Robin was doing.

Raven, emotionless as always, her face a blank mask against whatever emotions she was feeling.

And Starfire, with tears of sadness, regret, and guilt streaming from her emerald eyes, hovering and crossing her arms around herself as if the air was frigid, though it was warm outside.

_This is not where you belong   
I won't give everything away   
where you belong   
this is not where you belong _

Robin never came back.

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**TT**

**Author's Note:** Robin is a bit crazy, but I've always thought that there were two sides to Robin:

One is do-gooder, determined golden boy, a leader and a man of his own fighting for justice and the good of everyone. The other is a Robin with deeper, more vicious and merciless disposition, still fighting for justice but questionable in his methods, able to do anything possible to get the job done whether or not it's technically "good". They blend together to make the perfect Robin, but sometimes each one dominates over the other…

You get to see "side two" in this songfic. I hope you enjoyed. **Review please.**


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